Neptunia Flashworks
by NapkinBox
Summary: Hero set out to take matters into his own hands and save Gamindustri by rebelling against the status quo and dethrone the CPUs. That didn't work out so well. As punishment, the CPUs take turns keeping him as a servant for who knows how long.
1. Chapter 1

The Goddesses were too lax in their duties. The evil dwelling deep from the shadows of Gamindustri terrorize the peacefulness of the continent while the CPUs relax in the confines of the basilicom. Hero had enough and swore to take matters into his own hands and save Gamindustri.

However, while his goal was just in arm's reach, in the end, the Goddesses succeeded in thwarting his plans and Gamindustri was back on the verge of instability.

All because of the most laziest and irresponsible CPU of the four.

 _Neptune_.

She scribbled on a piece of paper. "I have a great idea for a new chapter."

"Don't talk to me," Hero said as he readied all the kitchen utensils.

"What are you making?"

Hero cracked an egg into a bowl. "Pancakes."

"You _always_ make pancakes." Neptune groaned. "What about pudding?"

"Pudding is a dessert. Pancakes are a breakfast staple."

"Sure, but everyday?"

"It's all we have. You didn't buy groceries like Nepgear told you to."

Neptune collapsed on the table. "Histy made it your job to babysit me."

"So you _are_ self-aware."

"But it's like I'm the one who has to tell you what to do."

Hero lifted the spatula over his head and took a deep breath, contemplating the very next action he was about to take.

"Fine," he said. "I'll make you pudding."

"Yay!" Neptune jumped back onto cushy pillow beneath her butt. "I love ya, trusty servant of moi."

Hero cracked another egg. "But we're still low on food. Once Nepgear comes back from her playdate, she won't be able to make dinner. Or lunch."

"Relaaax. Once my tummy is filled with delicious custard, I'll take a nap and when I wake up, I'll go out shopping with Iffy and Compa."

"Not a single word out of your mouth made me believe you're going to take responsibility. You know she told you to buy groceries three days ago, right?"

"You're so stiff. Like Noire. Once your time here is up, I bet you and Lonely Heart will do well together. Or worse."

"She did leave the impression she's the type of Goddess that takes her work seriously," Hero said as he leaned against the counter. "Do you think Histoire would allow an early transfer? Ow."

A rubber ball ricocheted off his head and knocked over the salt and pepper shakers.

"Is there a problem with my beautiful Planeptune?"

"The nation is the least of my problems." Hero cleaned up the mess and resumed mixing the ingredients. "I was born here, you know."

"The capital of Planeptune was the final bastion against your empire, and I have to say, I'm proud having to be the one to deliver the final blow."

"Don't talk like you killed me."

"Sorry. I'm just surprised the transition ended up so smoothly, you know? One day you were on the verge of dethroning us, the next, you're our— well, the other gals say prisoner, but I'm fine having you as a servant."

Hero sighed. "It's a disappointing outcome, personally, but I appreciate the sentiment."

"Anyway, about the new chapter I thought up. Look at this." Neptune held the paper she had been scribbling on the past few minutes.

Hero raised an eyebrow. "That's a drawing," he said. "And you draw like a two year old. Is that a robot?"

"I'll pretend I didn't hear half of that. I do not draw like a two year old."

"That's the wrong half."

"It's Nepgear and her Nepgeardam, see? You're going to be in a scene with her."

"What am I going to do with a Nepgeardam?"

"Who knows, but I bet it's hilarious."

"So you didn't even think how it's supposed to go down. Is that you right next to her?"

"I gotta be with my baby sister."

"So you're going to be there, too, just so you don't have to buy groceries?"

Neptune flailed the picture around in the air. "Do you always have to ruin it? I'll go buy the groceries, okay?"

"That's good to hear." Hero brought over a plate of pancakes and sat it in front of Neptune. "Eat your breakfast."

"Nep!" Her eyes were distraught. "You lied. Where's the pudding?"

"Didn't have enough ingredients."

She sulked over the food. "We don't even have any more syrup."

"Here's butter."

"That's cream cheese."

"Should have bought groceries."

Neptune reluctantly grabbed her fork and stabbed the stack of pancakes once she felt her stomach roar. As much as she didn't want it, believing the first bite would be the last in her life, she forced herself to down the hot cakes while tears flowed down her cheeks.

Hero sat down on the opposite table. Huh. Turns out he forgot to make himself some. Well, it's too late now. It would feel embarrassing having to stand up to make more immediately after sitting down, and he wasn't feeling too keen about taking Neptune's pancakes when she's eating them despite in a state of despair.

He sighed once more. Guess he'll just watch. Lunch is soon anyway, and he's probably going to be the one to buy the groceries anyway. Under the pressure of gloom and doom, Neptune planted her face on the table. She just couldn't handle it anymore. Hero chuckled to himself. That was pretty cute, he thought. While his story may have stopped on a bad end, maybe it will still be okay. He gets to keep the Goddesses in check, which also means he's indirectly responsible for keeping Gamindustri safe and sound, and all he has to do is, while a bit degrading, be their servant, which further adds on to him being partly responsible for Gamindustri's stability.

Things didn't turn out the way he imagined they would, but at least he can be assured he can keep Gamindustri's peace with his own two hands.

A whine slipped through Neptune's lips like air slowly deflating from a ball.

There's also the added bonus of watching this marshmallow goddess suffer just a little bit. He reached over and took a piece of the pancakes. After tossing it in his mouth, he quickly covered it with his hand.

The salt and pepper. There's too much salt and pepper. They got into the mixture when the ball knocked them over.

All because of the most laziest and irresponsible CPU of the four.

 _Neptune_.

* * *

 **How's it going, everyone? I rarely ever make an Author's Note anymore, but I hope you guys enjoyed this short chapter. It's only 1k words, but that's the point. I wanted to try my hand at flash fiction. Figured it would be a good way to churn out more content and rev up my creative juices and prevent writer's blocks on my much larger projects. The next chapter of Age of Adventure won't be released for some time; currently working on a NoirexUni one-shot that's only half-way finished. Hopefully I can get it done by next month. End of June would be ideal. That being said, I plan to update Neptunia Flash once a week, so please look forward for more! Thank you!**


	2. Chapter 2

"Thank you for the help," Histoire said behind Hero as he headed inside his room.

"It's my job, isn't it? It wasn't much paperwork, anyway."

"Still, because of you, we're getting ten times the amount of work done since you arrived. That's not to say that's an extraordinary amount compared to the other nations, but it is a tremendous increase in efficiency due to Neptune's—"

"I understand. Just call me when there's any more work to be done."

"Very well," Histoire nodded. "In three hours, I will call upon your assistance."

Histoire floated away on her book as Hero watched the door close behind her. Staring at it for a while longer, the silence overtook the air like he was stuck in space. As he laid down, he made sure to stretch so every inch of his back was embraced by the still cool touch of his bed, suppressing a tiresome wail that would be quite embarrassing if anyone was there to see or hear it.

As proud as he was to have some hand in keeping his nation afloat, his position held a natural stigma that would sometimes creep behind him and remind him of his indignity. He made sure it wouldn't affect him too much. At the very least, he would always look forward to chances he would take to go in his room and lay in his bed. It wasn't until his first day as Planeptune's servant he had found out people were able to sleep in beds so comfy. This bed could knock out a dragon in just a minute.

Maybe this is why the Goddesses become quite indolent without something, or someone, to knock them out of their idleness.

But for now, it was time to reset before his upcoming shift.

Knocking on the door.

Hero stood up from his bed after the first couple of knocks, willing or unwillingly, as if a mysterious force was making him walk towards the door and see who was knocking. In hindsight, he knew he couldn't afford to be lax himself. His role was a servant, after all.

He opened the door. "Yes?"

"Hi there," Nepgear said. Her timid, yet friendly nature made things easy to work with. For some reason, Hero always felt at home whenever she was around.

"What is it?"

"I've been looking for the remote to Nepgeardam. Neptune said you were borrowing it for a while."

Hero shook his head. "I didn't know Nepgeardam required a remote. I haven't seen anything like it."

"Really? Neptune was really confident you had it. Are you sure?"

"I really have no idea what you're talking about, sorry. Why would I want your remote anyway? If anything, Neptune— Wait." Hero looked back at his nightstand and noticed a purple remote. "Is this it?" he handed the remote.

"Yes! Thank you so much. I was worried I would have to build another, which wouldn't be a problem normally, but that would be the original remote would have fallen into someone else's hands. Couldn't have that, right?"

"Yeah. I'm not sure how it found itself in my room, but… anyway, sorry about that."

Nepgear apologized as well and bowed before Hero closed the door between them. He dropped on top of his bed and stretched his shoulders while cursing Neptune's name in his head. Just when he was about to fall onto his side, there was a knock on his door which immediately shot him across the room to open it.

"Yeah?"

"Oh, Hero, sorry."

"You're fine. What is it?"

"Well, Neptune said you made the fluffiest pancakes, and I thought, um, if it isn't too much to ask, could I try some of your pancakes?"

"…Ah." What confused him was the fact that Nepgear went out of her way to _ask_ as if she was worried about his time. Even though he'd prefer spending his time resting before his next shift, he didn't really have a choice, did he? He was their servant, and if Nepgear or anyone had a request, it was his duty to follow suit. So, he mentally prepared himself and closed the door behind him. "What kind did you want?"

"Oh, um… Banana and… blueberries. No, strawberries. No, actually, blueberries pair better with bananas, right? Goodness… I should have thought this through before I asked."

The edge of Hero's mouth turned into a smirk for just a twitch. He shrugged. "It's all right. I'll make whatever you want and more so you can have some later tonight."

"Really?" She giggled. "Then I guess we're going to have a pancake party!"

An hour or so later, Hero yet again fell on top of his bed, loosening up his muscles as he tried to swim in it.

 _Pancake_ _p_ _arty, huh?_

It was a lot livelier than usual. Hero didn't expect Nepgear to assist him in baking pancakes; she didn't have to, nor did he really need the help. What he expected was simply making routine lunch and dinner for the day, but it became more of a little session. He taught Nepgear his tricks on how to make the perfect, fluffy pancake, something he learned from his mother and passed down to his little sister. Sometimes she'll get it right, sometimes she'll make a mistake and laugh it off like it was all fun and games.

It felt reminiscent of those times.

And Neptune. She was there, too. For whatever reason, he wasn't sure, but Neptune was acting more sly than usual. Was she testing him? There's no way he was going to mess up something as easy as cooking. And he wasn't ready to find out what would happen to a servant who messes up.

He laid down on his bed. Histoire was going to call him very soon. A short nap, that should do it, and he'll be ready to work for the rest of the day.

A knock on the door made Hero shot up before he lost himself in his dreams. He stared at the door for a quick moment and quickly went towards it before the next set of knocks came.

"Yes? Nepgear?"

"I'm sorry." Nepgear fiddled with a game controller in her hands. "I was wondering if you wanted to play Smash Sisters with Neptune and I."

Hero didn't want to offend her by having an obviously questioning look on his face, but he knew he had to say something the moment Nepgear tilted her head in confusion.

"Is something the matter?" Nepgear said.

"Are you… giving me an order?"

"'An order'? Goodness, I didn't mean anything like that. Neptune has been on a winning streak the last few games and I thought it would be a lot more fun if we had a third. Would you like to join?"

While doing the work Histoire puts on him, he's always seen Neptune and Nepgear lounging in the playroom area playing video games. Sometimes he'd catch familiar faces, such as the other nation's Goddesses and other humans, playing along with their games. It was a peek at the daily lives of this continent's leaders and it always boggled his mind.

Are they always just playing video games?

"Have you finished your work?" Hero had to ask.

"Work? Oh, I've finished the stacks of paper Histoire gave me earlier this morning."

He dug in the deepest areas of his memory to remember such an event occurring. He definitely can, but he sure as hell don't remember the stacks of paper issued to Nepgear being as tall as his.

But that was probably because he was the servant.

That being said, it's been a while since he actually touched a game console. It sounds fun being able to relax for a while.

Relax?

Wait, he had to rest or else he'll never survive the rest of the day. But there's also the fact that it's Nepgear and he couldn't simply turn down a request from a CPU or CPU Candidate.

He was on a lifetime contract.

And to be honest, Nepgear seemed to be the type of girl who would hide an attempt of an order behind the guise of a request to play.

So the choice was made.

Nepgear already left to the play area. Neptune leaned against the wall with a smile holding multiple different meanings behind it.

Hero almost didn't want to ask. "What are you trying to pull?"

"You need to loosen up and live a little, ya know? Watch Mistress Neptune kick your butt in 2D."

"Is that it?"

"Subplots." She winked as she shimmied away. "Everyone loves a good subplot."

Hero shook his head and took a deep breath. He was already stressed for not having enough rest, he can't let the pounding in his head try to find the answers to Neptune's antics. It was best to just get the most out of this situation and play with them for a while.

Back in his room, he dug one knee into the mattress before throwing himself onto his bed, face-planting his pillow. If it was any less plush, he would have knocked himself unconscious. Unfortunately, he was still wide awake despite his body heavy, head aching, and heart pounding against the bed as hard as the knocking on the door.

That feeling of flight. Such a blissful feeling of freedom and elegance. To just let the winds caress every inch of your skin as you relax in the basket of the sun, your lungs expanding to take more fresh air than you know what to do with. A tremendous high you never want to end, until you fall and crash back down to earth, to reality, with a loud constant thud.

"Yes?" Hero said, his pillow wrapped around his head like a sandwich.

"Um, Hero?"

It was Nepgear.

He took one more deep breath, but it wasn't the same as he had imagined. He opened the door only wider than a crack, just enough to expose his body as he leaned against the edge of the doorway.

"Is something the matter?" Hero waited for her next request.

"I was wondering if you wanted to go shopping?"

Hero raised an eyebrow. "But I've already went out to gather all the necessities just yesterday."

"Oh, I know that, but I thought it would be nice if we just went out and have some fun. You know, buy some games, eat at the cafe, walk in the park. Stuff like that."

But isn't that just… more procrastinating? Have these girls ever worked an entire day before? It felt more like he was the one in charge of the nation than the CPUs. Well, at this point, it was hard to blame them. He was their newly lifelong servant and they were just taking advantage of that. If it meant making their lives easier, then so be it. His dull, tired eyes looked into Nepgear's, would it be right for him to decline? The clear answer: no, it wouldn't be. It was a request from a CPU Candidate and he was a servant. An order is an order.

In truth, however, it was just hard to say no to someone like her.

He took one step before realizing his foot was at an awkward position, kicking the door and almost tripping over until Nepgear caught him.

"Are you okay?" Nepgear said as she held him up using the doorway as support.

"I'm… I'm okay."

"But you don't look okay at all. Are you sick? Do you need—"

"Oh, Hero, you're awake. Just in time." Hero and Nepgear turned to see Histoire floating towards them. "A lot of reports have been coming in lately. I would be grateful if you go ahead and assess them accordingly. It might take you until night time to finish, so please, start right away."

"Histoire," Nepgear said as she started to realize what was happening. "Hero is—"

"Leave it to me. I'll get on it right away."

"Very well." Histoire nodded and went on her way to her own duties.

Hero let out a tired grown as he held his head with one hand, wondering if he'll be able to stay awake, or even keep sane. In the corner of his eye, he noticed Nepgear wrinkling the hemp of her uniform. Tears welled up in her eyes. He knew she was about to say something. Something about prioritizing his health before work. That's something Nepgear would say. So, right when Nepgear opened her lips, Hero placed his hand on her head and pushed her head downward with a gentle petting motion.

"Next time," he said. He walked away before she could utter a single word.

He was finally done. Was his head light or heavy? It was impossible to tell. Was he awake or was he already asleep? Funnily enough, that was pretty difficult to tell as well. If only he had the energy to laugh about it.

"Thank you for all your help once again," Histoire said. "Every week you're with us, the productivity of the nation's infrastructure increased and more reports started piling in than usual. You have my utmost gratitude."

"It was nothing. It's my job, after all. And Planeptune is my birthplace, so there's a little bit of bias of going above and beyond for it."

"Please, take some rest. In fact, since you have helped pull us out from such a dire situation, the amount of workload won't be too severe until your next arrival. You can take the rest of the week off until your upcoming transfer."

She finally left him alone in his room. He stood there trying to remember whether or not he forgot to thank her, but all he wanted was to finally rest. He took one step. And then another. And then another. He managed to let out a chuckle. Was he being overly dramatic or was he just that tired?

He slowly leaned over his bed until a knock on the door. Not just the pattern, but the intensity of it was starting to become familiar. For a split second he contemplated whether he should ignore it and rest, but knowing who was on the other side of that door, he couldn't bear it.

Using up nearly the rest of his energy, he slid his feet across the floor and opened it.

"Mhm?" He couldn't even say a simple greeting properly.

"Hero, I'm glad you're awake. Or, maybe…" She caught herself in her words. "I didn't mean it like that. I just… wanted to apologize. I didn't realize how tired you were from work, so I went ahead and made my own pancakes using your recipe and technique."

She handed over a plate of pancakes. It took Hero by surprise, especially at how stunning it looked. Like something you'd see in a classy restaurant. Was it really his recipe? His technique?

"I'd ask if you would like to join our pancake party, but I don't want to drag you around again. I'm terribly, terribly sorry. Have a good night, Hero."

And that was it. Did he even thank her? Did he even say goodnight back? Did he actually want to join in on the party? Well, he probably didn't. He was awfully tired, and plus, there were visitors. It would be too awkward, especially with the two familiar girls standing behind her. The "wind walker" and the sharpshooter. If anything, it was best to stay away from those two as much as possible.

He sat on his bed and stared at the pancakes in his hands. It was hard to eat them, to be honest. They just looked _too_ good. Even stabbing a fork in it would make him feel guilty.

But not being able to appreciate it would be even worse, wouldn't it? The texture, the strawberries, the cream, the syrup. It was making his mouth water.

He cut a triangle with his fork and took a bite.

A mere servant taking a bite of a CPU Candidate's home cooking. A former enemy. Such a life his had become, but it was a life he accepted gracefully.

He swallowed his piece and chuckled. There were many surprises during the past few weeks since he first became their servant, such as their daily lives when they're not in public view.

Nepgear wasn't the first of many people whom Hero taught his pancake techniques, but she was only the second person to surpass him.

He took a deep breath and stared at his pancakes a while longer before he continued eating them.

If only this night could last forever.

* * *

 **Another Author's Note here. Should I do these more often? Anyway, this chapter is 3k words long, much longer than I anticipated when I thought of the story. The whole purpose of this series is to be a collection of flash fiction or very short scenes (~1k or less) building up the world of Gamindustri, but I guess I got a little carried away and it almost made me miss my once a week quota. Maybe the occasional short story here and there, but please don't expect this length to be a normal occurrence.**

 **Noire's one-shot coming some time in July!**


	3. Chapter 3

**BANG BANG.**

Hero polished each component before reassembling them into the beautifully finished products they were. Some of them were matted, some had a sheen. Some were brand new, some were beaten, but that gave them character. He felt like a hobbyist, or a collector. It was more of a relaxing activity than it was a job. The only taxing part about it was the amount of training, or at least, the amount of trust required, to even _touch_ them.

 **BANG BANG.**

It was a very respectable collection. It didn't specialize in one genre, it respected every single type down to their shooting mechanics, lineage, model, etcetera, etcetera. He wasn't a rifle enthusiast himself, so it was hard to explain, but just one look and you could tell it was a collection that would make any other gun nut feel like they're drowning with their feet chained to the bottom of the fountain of youth.

Maybe he'll pick this up as a side-hobby.

 **BANG BANG.**

At least, once Uni trusts him to even _pretend_ shooting one.

 **BANG BANG.**

His phone vibrated.

"Hello?"

 **BANG.**

" _Oh,_ _h_ _i Hero. How are you?"_

"Nepgear? What's up? I'm in the middle of work, you know."

" _I-I'm sorry, am I bothering you? We were just wondering if you'll have any time off during the week."_

"'Time off', huh?" Hero leaned back on his chair. "It's Noire, so I don't think I'll have any time for myself whatsoever."

" _That's true. What about next week?"_

"Lowee is a bit too far for me to move between there and back in a day. I won't have time to do anything for you. Maybe once I'm at Leanbox… but I would have to beg. Why are you desperate for me to come over? Is it an emergency? The contract states I'm to be a servant for each nation for one week each cycle."

" _So, then, if you come over, you won't be considered a servant, right? You don't have to be a servant to visit Planeptune. You'll be like anyone else."_

"Huh, I didn't think you were that of a rebel."

" _Goodness, it's not like that. Forget about the contract for once, please?"_

Hero raised an eyebrow. "Well, as much as I'd love to see what tricks you have up your sleeve, I really have to go."

" _Aw… okay. Good luck at work."_

Once they both hung up, Hero let out a sigh.

"Is that really necessary?" He turned his head and looked deep into the barrel.

"No socializing during work," Uni said. She flexed her finger and pressed down on the trigger enough just before it reached its threshold. One micro-twitch would send Hero's brain splattered all over the place. The only reason why she hadn't done so was to avoid a mess on her gun collection.

Without aiming the end of the barrel away from Hero's head, Uni grabbed a sub-machine gun and tossed it on his lap. She took a few steps back towards the target practice area without taking her sights off him.

"Are you looking for a round two? You're not going to choke again, are you?"

A bullet cut a few threads of hair on the side of his head.

Hero blew some loose hairs off his face. "Even when I'm right in front of you, you're not a very good shot."

"That was a _warning shot_. It was a twist of fate that you're even alive. I could have hung you in my bedroom without your ugly face anytime I want. Now shut your mouth and load it."

Hero chuckled. Uni was always a feisty girl towards him. He had seen her more timid side whenever she visited during his weeks working in Planeptune, but whenever possible, she'd always acted as the lion tamer. If anyone was the lion, it would be her, and her lion tamer was at the other side of the continent.

He picked up the SMG given by her. He never had much experience with guns before, but after having the responsibilities of maintaining them for a while, he had learned a thing or two on basic handling.

"Are you going to stand still, too?"

"An easy target like your dumb ass was? No, we're going to have a competition."

Of course they were. Target practice. The worst part about being a servant of Lastation is both of its CPUs aren't so keen with words. At least with Neptune, he could have a back-and-forth witty conversation.

He shook his head in disappointment, but that only made Uni even more pissed. Fortunately, the next couple shots weren't aimed at him, but the poor human-shaped targets that now don't have a head.

She took aim at a poor little target trying to hide behind a wall.

Two in the chest

One in the head.

"You know they're not real," Hero said.

"I'm about to shove my rifle down your throat and straight out your ass if you don't shut up and shoot."

While her attitude was a tad overplayed, Hero didn't want to find out how much the fresh venom from her words would sting. Plus, he very well valued the health of his backside, so it was smart to just go along with it.

He anchored the gun's magazine on the table in front of him, the butt jammed in front of his shoulder, and took aim. It looked proper. It _felt_ proper. But military guns were not his strong suit, and he could sense Uni snickering behind him.

A few test shots. Some hits, some misses. It was a lot harder than it looked, but there was also the fact his targets were mostly further away. His sub machine gun wasn't very fitting compared to Uni's rifle. This was his contest to lose.

Unless he wins.

His left ear drum slammed with a deafening boom from Uni's rifle, taking down targets as quickly as they appear. Hero took more shots for himself.

Uni took hers.

Hero took even more. Uni was the better sharpshooter, but at least he could try and make up for it in speed.

Their duel lasted for who knows how long. There was no way to tell at a glance. No clock, no windows; they were separated from the outside world. It was only them, their weapons, and growing stigma.

As it went on, they forgot about the competition. They lost themselves in the spotlight, their concentration had blocked out the other and focused only on the metal cutouts in front of them. The more they shot down, the more of them appeared. It was an endless cycle they've accepted to last the rest of their lives.

Hero's phone vibrated.

"Sorry, give me a sec." He took out his phone and took a few steps away from the shooting area. "Yes? Nepgear—"

The phone was shot out of his hand and the wall in front of him now adorned a smoking bullet hole.

He turned towards the source of that shot only to see Uni shaking.

" _Why_?" She charged forward and jammed her rifle's barrel into his gut. "Why does she keep calling _you_?"

Uni's mental state at this point was far more frightening than Hero had ever seen. The emotions she exuded during her botched assassination, and being forced to treat him as a living being, was minuscule compared to the aura around her which made Hero's blood curl.

It wouldn't matter what his next word was. Anything that would come out of his mouth would be his last. And she was waiting for that one single peep.

"Howdy~!"

Uni jumped from the sudden entrance as the door crashed open and revealed a woman who was at the same time familiar, yet unfamiliar.

"N-Neptune?" The atmosphere took a drastic change, but she was still shaking. "W-What are you doing here?"

"Heeyy~" The much taller Neptune-lookalike waved as she checked out the place. "Sorry for not coming over to the pancake party. I know how much you missed me, but I was busy that day, so I decided to come visit."

"I-I didn't miss you at all. No, I mean, it's been a while, but— but…" Uni impatiently stomped her feet. "Why did you have to interrupt us?"

Neptune placed a finger on her chin and looked at Hero, who was still holding his side, up and down at a distance too uncomfortable for his liking. "So, this is what you've been up to these days, huh? You're so lucky. Uni makes the best curry."

"He's not eating any of my curry!"

"She makes curry?" Hero said with a newfound peak of interest.

"The very _best_. I had many types of curry from other dimensions, but Uni's takes the cake."

"D-don't ignore me! And it's not… not _that_ good…"

Hero raised his hand. "I'll have some."

"I'll give you a fork and you'll know what to do with it."

Neptune walked between them and leaned over the dividers separating them and the targets. "You have a fun thing going here. Mind if I take it for a spin? Let's start with a little warm-up."

She flipped the switch and twisted the knob all the way, accidentally ripping it from its socket. "Whoops," she said, but with a lack concern in her voice.

Every single popped out from there hiding places. Even from spots Hero had no idea even existed. Some came out of wheels, the walls, the ceilings, buckets, fences, even from other objects that would defy the laws of reality.

Neptune tilted her head to the side. "Whoa. Is this how you train, Uni? You're pretty hardcore. I don't think my old bones can still keep up, but you're not living if you never challenge yourself."

She reached into her pocket and tossed a number of magazines in the air. As they spun in the air, she pulled out her dual pistols, held them in front of her as she took her aim, and fired. Not just once or ten times. Actually, it was impossible to tell how many she was firing. But you could hear it. A continuous spray of bullets at a rate impossible for regular pistols. Not even two.

Hero and Uni were blinded by the even the sounds of fire until the shots finally stopped. He watched the magazines she had thrown into the air hit the ground. After a closer look, their eyes and mouth widen as they noticed the magazines were completely empty. In those few seconds of firing a constant stream of bullets, she had used up all her ammunition and every target had at least two holes in their heads.

"Man, that was pretty good," Neptune said without even a hint of fatigue. "Is there a level two?"

While Neptune kept herself busy with the shooting range, Uni sighed and walked towards the door.

"Good one," Hero said as he raised his fist, but then slowly retracted it when Uni continued to ignore him.

He shrugged. Uni wasn't going to give him the time of day, which is something he'd really like to know since this room was void from time itself, so he turned his attention to Neptune who seemed to be on a hot streak to break some world records.

"Tomorrow."

Hero turned back to see Uni standing in the doorway, for the first time, their eyes met without one of them having the desire to kill the other.

"Afternoon. Here. We'll see how easily I could have your head sprayed on the wall."

At least, not kill the other… yet. But for some reason, Hero was a bit relieved to hear it.

"Just make sure you don't miss this time."


	4. Chapter 4

It is said a snake continues to live long after its head has been chopped off from its body. It is still a threat. However, what if the head isn't what you should be worried about? What if the real threat is still the powerful body still squirming about trying for one last attempt to take its prey down with it.

Does that sound more or less realistic? Maybe, maybe not. The head holding the brain and teeth, lying helpless as its own body goes around mindless, in vain. Sounds like something from a science fiction. A monster, scary and powerful by itself, only to lose its head, now a non-factor its headless self now disoriented, chaotic, unpredictable.

Hero stared at his reflection on the window, the night sky masking the shadows under his eyes. He had nearly broken his back doing maintenance around the basilicom all day with no breaks whatsoever. There wasn't anyone to take his place; all the other servants had their own share of responsibilities. Sure, there's also to consider his burden is much larger than the rest; he is one on the record as the biggest criminal in all of Gamindustri, and this was to be expected as his punishment.

He was nearly finished with his last round of polishing the windows. Actually, how many were left? Thinking about it, it is possible he polished all the windows on this floor more than a handful of times. There are at least a couple more floors he has to go check before heading off to bed, but for some reason he couldn't move. His arm, already feeling as if it wasn't even a part of his body anymore, still moved in a circular motion, polishing the hell out of the single window. How long has he stood there? His feet were numb, knees locked. He was standing not because he had the strength and stamina, but due to the phenomenon that is physics keeping him upwards involuntarily.

Honestly, he didn't want to move. This window was going to be the most god-damned polished window in all of Gamindustri. This damn thing will be a national-fucking-treasure, and Noire better well appreciate it or damn her and this nation.

He pressed his forehead against the back of his hand, not wanting to smudge the window or else spend even more time cleaning it. His head felt like it was going to burst, his chest hot and throbbing. He held onto the walls and moved his legs. Each minuscule movement causing a sharp, static-like pain to shoot through his entire lower body. Each step he adjusted his back, keeping the dull ache of his spine to a minimum. This wasn't the most uncomfortable or painful feeling he had ever felt in his life, but it would be preferable never to experience this sensation ever again in his next five lifetimes.

He pushed through large double doors leading to a magnificent chamber. Despite the sound of the doors opening, Noire did not look up from her papers, her head down, eyes boring through her desk as she grabbed papers from a stack with one hand and marking them with the other.

"Noire," Hero said. "It's best if you rest until tomorrow."

While getting her attention may have been Hero's intention, he instantly regretted those words. Noire's eyes, as naturally red as they were, were an culmination of her stress and rage. Hero couldn't even bear to look at her in the eye without the back of his own eyes feel like they're going to implode from the pressure. The atmosphere in the room was just as heavy, like a child innocently walking through the living room trying to fetch a glass of water while their parents are sitting at the table with a bad report card. Only this time, Hero's wellness was on the line.

Hero looked out at the window behind her, the night sky keeping himself collected. "It's not healthy staying up this late."

"If you knew what it was like being a half-a-decent leader of an entire nation, you wouldn't be saying that to me. In fact, what makes you believe someone in your position would give any proper advice to a true leader?"

"I'm your contractual servant for life. It's only normal for me to care about your health."

"You care, huh? Don't make me laugh. It's _your_ mess I've been cleaning up this whole time."

The windows shattered, shards of glass scattered all over, pummeling the floor and everything was in front. A boulder was now lodged into the ground. But Noire didn't seem to be fazed by it at all, simply brushed the glass pieces off her desk and continued writing. Sounds of footsteps and military-like commands echoed throughout the hallway through the doors behind him.

Hero sighed as he walked towards the destroyed windows. The sounds of people screaming and yelling came from below. People have taken the streets with signs and torches. Several buildings in front of the basilicom were occupied by protesters, one in particular had a group stationed, to his surprise, with a catapult.

No order whatsoever. A group so disoriented. Chaotic. Unpredictable.

"I'll make the repairs," Hero said, bracing his back.

"Do it tomorrow when I don't have to look at you. I already have enough of your mess to sleep through the night with."

Not even the breeze from outside was as cold as Noire's words, but he was in no position to talk back, so he turned and headed out of her room. He thought about looking back when another boulder crashes through another set of windows, but he decided to close the door behind him, whether or not it was the better decision.

He walked away from Noire's room, the sounds of the rallies no longer reaching him. The other servants already in position to handle the protests outside. He was alone in his own world right now. Alone, with only his own hands to rebuild his bridge out of twine.

The spot he stood on felt warm beneath his feet. There was a slight depression compared to the rest of the flooring, but it felt natural only to him.

He stared at his own reflection on the window, only able to see his face. A floating head with no body, helpless in space, nothing to keep it afloat but by sheer will. It was only a matter of time whether that head can grow a new body to support itself, or fall.

He pressed his forehead against the window for a second before polishing it again for the rest of the night.


	5. Chapter 5

Hero and IF walked down the market streets of Lastation, more or less a regular day as it has always been. The only difference, however, is being made to wear a disguise.

"What are you looking at?" IF said.

"I'm not a fan of these red glasses."

"I'm sure someone out there cares. Not me, but you know, _someone_."

"You're too generous. They look good on you, though."

IF flicked a piece of chocopuff in the air for Hero to catch in his mouth. "Good boy."

"You're having fun with this," Hero said, slightly annoyed. "Wind walker."

"Sure am. And stop calling me that."

Their relationship wasn't too hostile. At least, not anymore. IF harbored deep animosity towards Hero due to his part in the rebellion, but she accepted that as part of the past by now. To most, a quick act of forgiveness would be very illogical, but everything becomes illogical when your best friend is Neptune, who had, to everyone's surprise, already forgiven his sins.

She is the one who thought of the lifelong contract, after all. Might as well be grateful there's one less person with a gun willing to point it at his head every single day.

Besides, since it was Noire's turn to gas up the flames, she felt a little bit of pity for him. She wasn't going to let him off the hook, however. She was simply planning on burning a few holes open. In his wallet, that is.

They were visiting street vendors and tasting all the local delicacies the nation had to offer. From fried octopus balls to ice cream macarons to cookie dough filled donuts, Hero was forced to spend his money on every single vendor within hearing distance. Even if IF had little to no interest on a stand, she just considered it as "opening their horizons".

Hopefully, Histoire would give him triple overtime to make up for it.

Hero took a bite out of his hotdog, but not without the sensation of something crawling on the back of his neck. "Do you really have to look over my shoulder?"

"I'm just making sure you're aren't up to any sleight of hand tricks."

"Are you some robot-warden? Even I'm not that strict when it comes to Neptune."

"Oh, _believe_ me, I know what it's like trying to watch over Neptune, but you're not her. While I agree, I hate having to always do this, in fact, I'd prefer if you were thrown into the dungeon for the rest of your life, but here we are. You should consider yourself lucky. Neptune was the only one to stick up for you. I don't know why, but you owe it to her that I haven't slit your throat."

"Gotta wait in line."

"She still at it?" IF shrugged as she took a bite of her own hotdog. "I'm not surprised, but really, whatcha gonna do?"

"It's not that bad anymore."

"She stopped trying to blow your brains out?"

"…No. But she talks to me now. It's takes a little pulling."

"Fascinating."

"Like you."

IF pulled out her pistol and aimed it at his head.

"The safety is on," Hero said.

"Hey, you learned a lot just from being Uni's lapdog." IF holstered her gun and finished the rest of her hotdog in a single bite. "Just so you know, I've always had the safety on. Truth be told, I have no intent in killing you— well, not since Neptune gave me the role as your caretaker, that is. That's what I don't get. Why _did_ Neptune forgive you after all that you did?"

Hero continued eating the rest of his hotdog. They walked past a local arcade shop with teens lined up to play the latest arcade shooter that uses motion detection to control a virtual character in an arena with just the player's hand motions. One of the boys who was ready to play stood side-by-side with a younger girl, going through the settings and how to control their characters.

"She has that big of a heart," Hero said.

"Yeah, no, I know Neptune may be kind to a fault, but she wouldn't just ignore everything that led up to this point. You almost ruined Gamindustri forever."

"I know." Hero looked down to the ground as he walked, watching the fluid movements of his feet as a distraction from the conversation. "I know."

"The _bombs_ ," IF emphasized, hammering the point into Hero's head.

" _I know_. I know. I don't know why Neptune let me off like that, but here I am, the goddesses' servant for life." Hero took a deep breath. "And yours, pretty much."

"Tempting, but nah, I'm not interested. I don't know why Neptune is so lenient with you, but hell, if that's how she is, then that's how it's going to be. I trust her. And it's just my job to keep you in check, just in case. Besides, you're paying."

Hero deflated on the spot, holding his back from carrying the burden he was forced to pull around. "What else did you want?"

"That place has great smoothies."

It was a small hole-in-a-wall untouched by time, decorated with nuts and bolts, rusted signs, and neon lights. At first glance, it seemed it would be a spot for the more shady folks of Lastation, but once they were inside, it was a hot spot for older teens and young adults with their studded leather jackets and punk hair style looking for a pub with a cyberpunk aesthetic, and only a few customers stuck out like a sore thumb with their everyday clothing.

"Hey Ralph," IF said as they neared the front counter.

Ralph was a reptilian working as a full-time bartender. He was born with one eye, but that never stopped him from flipping a coin while telling stories of how he had lost his other eye by a sword made out of pure energy during a war against an ancient race near Leanbox.

"Howdy," he said, his tongue slithering in joy. "It's been a while. What does the Head-of-a-Leaf want today?"

Iffy gestured her hand to Hero.

"Which one are you getting?" Hero asked, feigning ignorance to what Iffy's gesture meant.

"No, no. I'll order for the both of us."

"Trying to get bonus points with a staged accident?"

"You think I'm that kind of gal? You'll love it, trust me. Now go over there and sit. Oh, and one more thing. The next time you see Uni, apologize, all right? Even if it's not on you, just do it."

The sudden suggestions of being the one to apologize to Uni confused him for a split moment. He wasn't sure if she meant it or it was just a ploy to get his mind of his wallet, which wasn't very effective because the pain of the leather leaving his hand was too much, not knowing what kind of foul deeds IF had in stored for his little friend. There was nothing he could do but take his mind off it; from now on, it was dead to him. He headed towards the far side of the pub to find a quiet spot for just them. There were a few tables with a semi-circle couch backed against the wall providing some privacy.

There was less light further from the entrance, probably to enhance the mood, so when he reached the table, he accidentally bumped into someone.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to—"

"No, no, I wasn't looking where I was going. I was—"

Once their eyes met, a sudden tick signaled in their brains the moment they got a better look at each other. A bag of mixed emotions, neither of them knowing which emotion was going to spill out first.

Hero was the first to pull the trigger. "This is a smoothie bar," he said. "There are no forks."

Uni grabbed Hero's shirt and pulled him down closer to her face. "A spoon is just the right shape for where I'm about to put it."

They stared daggers into each other's eyes, neither wanting to back down from their duel.

That was until that Uni's face started turning red which made Hero break into laughter as he shook his head.

"She put her guard down," Hero chuckled as he took a seat.

"Sh-shut up," Uni snapped back, shaking her head and smacking her cheeks. "Stop making me say weird things. Just because you and Neptune have weird conversations doesn't mean I want to be a part of it. Besides, we're in the same boat right now. We can't have the wrong people see us, so we have to put on a disguise."

As the CPU Candidate, she would be putting her life in danger if she was seen in public by any of the protesters. Not being able to freely walk in your own nation, the complete opposite of how a CPU Candidate should live, how Uni's life used to be before the war.

"I'm sorry," Hero said, looking down at the table.

"For what?"

Hero looked up, not expecting her response to be a question. "…For—"

"For almost destroying Gamindustri? Are you trying to apologize for _that_? Or are you apologizing for the people you've hurt? Or even turning the landscape to something unrecognizable? Have you been paying _attention_ to Planeptune? No, _Leanbox_. Actually, since you're here right now, you don't need me to explain what's going on in Lastation. Everything is upside down because of _you_."

"I guess since we're on this subject, I should probably let you know that I never planted the seed that got your people to turn on you. You think a couple of posters and fliers would be enough to suddenly influence a rebellion?"

"Are you saying their faith in us was already so low?"

"You made your garden. I only gave them light. I'm genuinely sorry this had to happen to you, but understand I am not the one at fault."

Uni grabbed Hero's collar as she clenched her fist and pulled it back, ready to retcon his face into the next dimension. However, before she could feel his bones against her knuckles, whispers filled the room.

"Those kids, look how rowdy they're getting."

"Oh shit, a fight."

"Is she going to hit her own brother? How sad."

Uni pushed Hero back into his seat, her face a burning red. " _Brother!?_ _What?_ "

Hero pointed at his glasses. "Red suits you."

"It's to compliment the crimson mask I plan on giving you—" She pulled her hair causing her glasses to almost fall off.

"You're getting pretty good at this."

"Shut up, who asked you? I'm not here to be friendly with an enemy."

Hero sighed. "Giving me pleasure is revolting to you."

"I feel like I gotta wash my hands— _stop_."

"Wow," said IF while bringing in a platter with three drinks. "You know, I thought Uni would be the driving force of the relationship, but I see I was wrong. What a surprise."

Uni slowly turned around. "I-IF, I—"

"There's only one," IF said as she raised an eyebrow.

"W-What are you doing here?"

"What I've always been doing. Keeping an eye on big brother."

"He's not—…!"

"Yeah, yeah." IF chuckled. She wasn't even trying to hide the smirk on her face. "Sit down. I got our drinks, including yours."

"Huh? Why me? You didn't have to."

"I didn't. _He_ did."

"I'm not always that charitable," Hero said. "It's paid with my money, you mean."

"What's my mouth, a keyboard? Making typos?

Hero shrugged as if saying not to mention it, playing along with whatever IF was trying to pull.

Meanwhile, Uni looked back and forth between the two, trying to wrap her brain around the functions of their relationship.

"I don't get it," Uni said. "Why are you acting so friendly towards him?"

IF put her finger on her chin pretending to think about it. "It's not like we're friends or anything, but it's not like we're enemies right now."

" _What_? Do you know what you're _saying_? IF, your guild doesn't even exist anymore."

"True, but I've been planning on going on vacation sooner or later."

Uni slammed both her hands on the table, almost spilling the drinks before IF grabbed hers (and only hers) to take a sip. "Your guild is no more, Planeptune is broken apart, Leanbox— I don't think it's even called Leanbox anymore, and Lastation… is Lastation even a nation anymore?" Her voice cracked as she choked on her tears. "And all because I… I…"

"Because you missed." IF leaned back, drinking her smoothie like she was sunbathing on the beach. "Yeah, you choked pretty hard there, missing the most fate-altering shot in history. But now, here we are, here I am, here he is, and you are here. How about you, I don't know, accept it? Start with this. For now, just let it go."

"'Let it go'? Neptune may be letting him off the hook, but even you, IF, know how _wrong_ that is. You know he deserved a far harsher punishment than the contract. Deep down, you can never forgive him for what he's done. As a CPU Candidate, why would I _ever_ _forgive_ someone who was on the verge of destroying Gamindustri?"

"It wouldn't be the first time."

Even Hero was forced to widen his eyes as he was taken aback by IF's blunt comeback. Shaking harder than a naked person in the snow, Uni, through her tears, stared at IF in shock, who wasn't bothering to even let her even take a peek at her eyes.

"I'm sorry," IF said, finally breaking the awkward air. "At the end of each week, it's my job to supervise his last day, make sure he didn't leave behind a mess or plan on doing anything fishy to jeopardize the nations any further. He's been on good behavior, so I haven't been too harsh on him, but that doesn't mean I've been lax on my observation. In fact, I'm always on high alert whenever I have to take him off of Noire's hands. You know why, don't you?"

"…I'm…"

"Here." IF placed a tall glass of a neon yellow slush in front of Uni. "Drink up. You'll like it."

Uni dried her face with both her wrists. "…I'm sorry…"

"Are you sure that's for me?"

Uni gulped as she glanced at Hero before looking back at her drink. "…You don't even deserve the stem of a cherry."

IF shrugged. "I tried."

"You did so much," Hero said. He took the last drink from the silver platter and inspected it near a light. "What's this supposed to be?"

"Yours is strawberry. Uni's lemonade."

"And yours is edible."

"Oh would you stop complaining?" IF took another long sip as if to cool down her frustration. "Just this morning you said your back was broken in half and now you're having a drink with me and your little sister."

"Consider me an equal opportunity malcontent."

Uni stirred her drink with a straw. "Your back is hurting?…Wait, what did you call me?"

"Don't be such a baby," IF said. "This is beneficial for the both of you as it is for me. Learn to loosen up."

"How is this beneficial for you?" Hero sighed and pressed his fingers on the side of the glass. "Hold on, it's a cold drink, but why is it bubbling?"

Uni stared at the so-called "smoothie", beads of sweat forming on her forehead. She flinched the moment she thought a bubble had popped in her face.

"Incredible," IF said. "This woman is clearly a pro at challenging a glass of lemonade to a staring contest."

"If this is lemonade, I'll pawn my entire gun collection. You know what? I might actually go ahead and do that to pay off the medical bills after this. The worth should equal about five lives."

Hero clenched his glass and took a deep breath. "If we don't survive this, just know that I love you."

"Your love's not worth much."

Hero and Uni held their respective drinks and brought the straw near their lips. Hero's heart was beating faster than ever before, but he had somewhat of a relief when he noticed IF happily drinking her own glass.

Just as when he was about to take a sip, he noticed an odd look on Uni's face.

He looked down at his own straw. The colored slush was trapped within the confines of the straw, but what struck him was the fact that his straw was the only transparent one, so anyone in viewing distance could witness his hesitance. Despite IF being in the middle of enjoying her smoothie, Hero could sense her guise which hid a menacing aura, throwing daggers at his lungs, forcing him to breath in and watch the slush climb up the straw, inch by inch, until it passed his lips.

Just before the moment it reached his lips, he took one last look at Uni, her face soaking wet, her straw twitching erratically as her teeth bit on the plastic. It was a look humiliating to a CPU, a look not one of her followers should ever have their eyes see the light of, and here's Hero with a front seat view. However, it wasn't in him to laugh or mock her. He could only feel pity, sorrow, and a connection, because with one last breath, they were going hand-in-hand through the gates of hell.

One of IF's phones started ringing. She answered.

"Hello? Oh, sure." She handed her phone over to Hero. "For you. It's Nepgear."

But Hero wasn't in the mood to answer the call. He was more worried whether Uni's cries were cries of agony or cries of exploding rage.

* * *

 **Hey everyone! I know, I'm a few weeks off. So much for promising this would be weekly. However, I have some news. I'm going to be taking a break from writing fanfics. After focusing on AoA for so long and creating this new series, coupled with the fact that Black Sister, Black Sister had a small turnout then I would like, I've burned myself out. Even this chapter used up every last ounce of energy I had left until I bashed my head against the wall hard enough. I wish I could get more feedback to keep the fire burning, but alas, I just need a rest. But not from writing in general. I'll be focusing on finishing Vol 1 of my original series, which I'm likely going to finish (at least, the draft) later this year. It's inspired by A Certain Magical Index, so I'm not sure if any of you are interested in that, but know that once I'm done with it, I'll be back to writing my fanfics. And who knows, in the meantime, I'll probably still continue writing chapters for AoA and Sierra and probably a one-shot or two so I can truly give you guys a more steady release schedule without giving myself such a strict deadline after each update. We'll see.**

 **Thank you all for reading! I'm looking forward to writing for you guys again!**


	6. Chapter 6

Hero wasn't a total nut when it came to reading books. He just simply acknowledged the intrigue that comes from their written words. That's why during his breaks he wanders around inside the library of Lowee's Basilicom. He wasn't going to take the time to sit down and read every single book, nor did he have the patience or energy, but he was interested in the material that he may find; something may greatly pique his interest and he would not be able to resist taking a peek inside.

It was a library filled with surprises. An odd assortment of books ranging from fantastic lore of Lowee spanning thousands of years, to romantic comedy light novels, some of which seem to be written with such mediocrity it was a wonder how the Basilicom could accept such quality.

That being said, all these books were probably made to the CPU's taste.

What fine taste.

Hero grabbed a book off the shelf and took a seat near a window with an electric fan turned on.

He had lost track of time as he delved deeper into his book, only to be snapped out of his focus when a bead of sweat dripped from his forehead and onto the page.

"You seem awfully uncomfortable in that position," a voice said.

For the first time, Hero looked up from his book and Financier placed a glass of ice water on the desk. He reached for it only to realize his clothes were sticking to his skin due to the heat of the sun raining mercilessly on him. If anything, it made the water all the more quenching.

"You should take better care of yourself," Financier said. "What are you reading?"

"Just some lore behind Lowee."

"I didn't think you'd be interested in that sort of thing. Actually, maybe I have. You do seem to care a lot about all four nations. The weather has gotten a lot hotter than the norm lately."

Hero downed half of the glass before catching himself in mid-thought from Financier's statement.

Lowee was never an intended target during the war. Who would want to destroy the happiness and tranquility heavily imbued by the nation? If not Planeptune, Lowee could have been another great option to have as his capital. But while Hero meant no harm to befall Lowee, it didn't leave the nation vulnerable to undesirable effects caused by the war itself.

He looked outside the window and watched the children of Lowee playing with the newly installed sprinklers outside of the basilicom. Rom was playing volleyball with an inflatable ball while Ram laughed away as she hosed down a couple of boys. Despite the joy on her face, she was unaware the possibility of injuring the poor bastards.

Children always have the most fun.

"I'm sorry." Financier bowed. "I didn't mean anything by it. I've been observing your health since the last time you came to work under Lady Blanc and I've noticed your health has degraded over time. Our lady gave you the entire week off to rest so you wouldn't overwork yourself."

"It's not worth worrying about my health," Hero said as he finished his water. "I just consider this as part of my punishment. Besides, my body would get used to it in the end."

"In my opinion, your health should be top priority being the lead servant for the CPUs." Financier leaned over to pick up the empty glass. "Lady Blanc knows how much you're going through, and that's why she's been letting you rest a lot more than your initial weeks here."

"My physical health is not the reason why she's doing it."

"Don't be like that. I understand how much you want to prove your dedication, not because of the CPUs, but because you love Gamindustri. Lady Blanc appreciates what you've been doing for us, but even she knows her limits and so should you. You're not a prisoner, you're a—"

"A servant," Hero finished for her. He understood full well where he stood in his lane. He was thankful for his days off, but his spirit was stuck in constant turmoil. Not only did it hurt his pride having to take advantage of being under the care of one of the CPUs, but Hero wasn't the kind of person to let his pride get in the way of reason, which is why he accepted the contract in the first place. Willing to break his bones for Gamindustri to strive, but ashamed for being looked down on by the goddesses in mockery. "But if it'll make you feel any better, I'll take it easy from now on. At least, until I leave for Leanbox."

"That's good. As long as I can see you stand up straight, I'll be able to continue to work with a smile on my face."

As her assistant, Hero's life in Lowee was under Financier's hands, but it was against her nature to use her profession for anything considered underhanded. He was her assistant and she was going to treat him as such. As a maid who already went up and beyond for her lady, having Hero around didn't quite make things any easier, but she enjoyed the company and being able to have someone under her wing, even if it was just for one week.

Hero chuckled under his breath as if he just got pulled into a promise he wouldn't be able to keep. "You're pretty carefree towards someone who was Gamindustri's most wanted."

"Was I ever threatened? I don't think anyone in Lowee has a reason to feel threatened by you. You never once had Lowee as a target, is that right?"

Not feel threatened? As surprising as that sounded, Hero wasn't quite surprised at all. Lowee being the city of dreams and fantasy, it was, for the most part, impossible for Hero to imagine the destruction of the city, even if it meant its end would result into greater prosperity for all of Gamindustri.

During his war against the CPUs, he was hesitant on targeting Lowee and focused all his resources on the other three nations. While he never once targeted Lowee, the results of his actions left behind consequences that may affect it for centuries to come.

The fantastic aura that once encompassed Lowee— while it may have not gone away per se, it drastically changed the way Lowee used to portray itself. It also revealed the dark secrets Lowee had been hiding all these years, secrets that let Blanc realize how much she actually detested her own people. But the swimsuit industry helped cause an economic boom.

Thinking about it, Hero's actions actually resulted in a net positive. The changes helped rack in tourists and foreigners seeking new homes and opened up new industries. This may currently be the most prosperous era in Lowee's history as a nation.

Hero took a deep breath, both due to the heat and conflicted thoughts. He set the books aside and pushed himself up from his seat.

"Are you okay?" Financier said, standing aside in case he needed help.

"I'll be fine. The heat must be getting to me."

"Plus, too much sun is bad for the skin. Young girls wouldn't want that, you know."

As much as it was against Hero's nature to ignore such a quip, the heat has taken its toll, and he was feeling disgusted soaked in his own sweat.

"The bath is ready for you," Financier said with a bow. She knew he was going to need it. "Would you like me to handle your reading material?"

"That's okay. I'll be back for them later."

"Very well."

And that's how the days in Lowee go by for Hero. The maids were the heart and soul of the basilicom, so there was very little need for Hero to even be here. As such, most of his time is spent not truly being a servant to the CPU, but as Financier's assistant. There was a sense of confusion as to whether this was enough of a punishment for Hero, and in truth, even he was unsure if he was being punished at all, but Blanc assured it satisfied the contract.

It was somewhat odd that Financier seemed to disregard Hero's deeds, but it was understandable, and perhaps like Neptune, it was all in the past for her. An extreme oddity, and yet, unlike with Neptune, it stung. Neptune treated him like an equal and Hero felt nothing of it.

Financier treated him like an equal and the whole world was on his shoulders.

Hero finished taking his bath. The water was nice and cool and it was something he desperately needed after sitting still under the sun's rays for a long period of time. You'd have to hate life to dare take a hot shower in this sweltering weather. He put on sweatpants and a light shirt since he wasn't planning on heading out at all today. All he wanted to do was take this day off to relax and continue reading his material. Maybe help out here and there where it may be needed, although it was very unlikely any of the basilicom maids would be in a position to be in need of assistance.

So he took his time walking around the Basilicom. Like walking under the cherry blossom trees in the Planeptune Gardens during Spring, the well-ventilated hallways felt just as pleasurable. That was a testament to how quickly Lowee adapted to the changes.

The Lowee of old was gone forever, but the smiles and happiness still stayed. While Hero felt guilty and responsible about this sudden change, he was happy to see nothing bad had happened to its people.

The rainbows that watched over the city were still present, but the floating lights that once adorned the sky—like fairies dancing in rhythm with the citizen's smiles and laughter—were replaced with harsh rays of light and numerous sprinklers installed on the roofs of every building and lined up in the streets, raining and splashing on the city pavements that would otherwise be too hot for flesh.

The lack of snow made extra building space for additional shops, houses, and also new attractions such as water slides and numerous pools, one of those pools currently occupied by many children of Lowee, including Rom who was floating in an inner tube while Ram dunked a couple boys beneath the waters. Despite the joy on her face, she was unaware the possibility of drowning the poor bastards.

Children always have the most fun.

Hero continued his leisurely walk. Some of the maids said their greetings in passing and Hero asked if there was anything he could help with. To his confusion, they all were hesitant on accepting his offer, but all questions were answered when a number of maids struggling with a heavy box of equipment accepted his help. However, Financier appeared from behind with reinforcements making sure their job was completed swiftly and without his help.

Financer had her hands on his hips and a serious look on her face. "What did I say?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I won't do any more work."

"Can you take this equipment to Lady Blanc?"

"What did you say?"

"What did I say?"

"I know what you said."

"Then why'd you ask?"

"What— Why—" Hero rolled his eyes. "What is this even for?"

"Gym equipment," she said. "Lady Blanc is installing a private gym in her quarters to vent off steam."

"The heat or the whole…" Hero moved his hands in a convex motion in front of his chest.

"It's mostly the overflow of shares due to the influx of visitors recently."

Hero raised an eyebrow and Financier could only bite her lip while trying not to obviously nod to confirm his suspicion.

She rocked back and forth. "I'm a C."

"I never asked, but I knew you were shady."

Hero opened the box to check its contents. It was filled with wooden rings, kettlebells, dumbbells, barbell plates, and a number of smaller equipment that one look at them say: yep, gym equipment. It was a funny to think about. If it weren't for the fact she's a CPU, the idea of a petite girl like Blanc lifting weights ten times her body weight was otherworldly astounding. But there was just one problem.

"It's heavy," Hero said.

"For me or for you?"

Hero hunched his back as he stared deeply at the amount of equipment, thinking how he's ever going to move an entire box of heavy metal from her all the way to Blanc's room. He let out a deep breath as he was near surrender.

"I'm just a human," Hero chuckled.

But it was Financier's turn to raise an eyebrow, holding back her own laugh.

"Don't act like this wouldn't be a bag of feathers for someone like you," she said as she gently kicked the box letting Hero know to get going.

Hero was about to feign a tear. "You _are_ the shady type." He straightened his back and bent his legs, lifting the box without showing any signs of difficulty and headed to the floor where Blanc's chambers was located.

As he neared the doors to Blanc's private quarters, the doors opened and Blanc herself walked out with a bored look in her eyes. Ever since the war, she is rarely ever seen with her large hat and fur coat. She mostly walks around with her short dress and an aura of wanting to choke someone behind a mask of not-giving-a-damn.

"Delivery," Hero said. "Your workout equipment." Barely a reaction from her, she simply watched as Hero placed the box down in front of her and opening it to confirm its contents. "There might be more. I can go back down and check to see—"

"Didn't I tell you to have the week off?"

It's true, the entire week Hero was supposed to be Blanc's servant became his vacation time. But doing extra work during his break and being questioned about it was not something he expected. Hero was almost lost for words as if giving himself up to be her loyal dog would be far from enough.

But he didn't want to give up now. Accepting this vacation under the CPU's orders felt like he was giving up on himself. He was a human who once stood on top of the pedestal towering over the goddesses. Now he was their servant, but that didn't mean he became any less of a person than before. He still had his pride.

"I just didn't feel right not working when I'm supposed to be your servant for life."

"You're my servant for only a week. Then you're off to Leanbox."

"That's… That's true, but Financier—"

"Lowee's maids are more than enough to handle the work around the basilicom. Paperwork, admin, housecleaning. I appreciate your hard work, truly, but you're help isn't as needed here as it apparently is in the other nations."

And there it was. Not being needed. Any insult in the world could have bounced off his skin, but not being needed bore a hole in his chest. Blanc was dead set on keeping Hero from working for the entire week, so there was no other choice.

"…I understand. My apologies. I'll be on my way now."

"Why did you let her do it?"

"Well, I can't say I didn't try to stop her, but she's hard to say no to when she puts the pressure on you—"

"No. I mean Noire."

Like a pretty penny floating in limbo, in the void between time and space, Hero left his mouth agape, unable to imagine the words that could come out of his mouth at this moment, only to let out a hesitant laugh as if it were all a joke, but he knew Blanc wouldn't just say Noire's name without reason. Because she knew what no one else was supposed to, she knew because she was a part of that inner circle of CPUs.

It shouldn't have been a surprise and he knew it was a futile attempt at keeping it a secret.

"If it makes you feel any better, only I know about the botched surgery. I told her to keep it shut from anyone else. So, why did you let her do it?"

He gritted his teeth like a child scorned, his hand on the wall to keep him standing. "Better than being crippled for life."

"Just to continue working when you now have the fragility of an eighty year old man? You could have taken it up with IF and Histoire at any time, but you decided to let her violate the contract without consequence?"

"Do you need help bringing all this stuff in—"

"You could be free by now for her crossing the line."

"I can still—"

"But that's why you didn't do it. You hesitated because it _is_ a violation."

Hero had his grip around the edges of the box, sweat dripped from his forehead and the hallways were too cool for him to point fingers at the heat.

Blanc pulled the box away from him. "Does Uni know about it?"

Hero gulped. "She only knows about the pain. IF knows about it as well, but both of them only to the extent that it could be from overworking myself. I wouldn't be surprised if IF finds out about it in time."

"So you've turned into a ticking time bomb." Blanc sighed, still with the same bored look on her face. "You're real something, you know that? There's no point in acting the tough guy. To be honest, I would love to see you writhing in pain and begging for me to make it a quick and painless end for you, but I keep my obligations no matter what. I intend to keep my end of the contract, so here's the deal. Your time in Lowee is your vacation. You'll be put into rehab, then you can hammer yourself into the ground while you're at Leanbox or whatever, and you'll continue your rehab when you come back. _Or_ I can smash you with my hammer until you're erased from existence. And trust me, Lowee's network of maids know how to keep everything… 'underground'."

"You knowing my secret had already put my back to the corner. Threatening me with damnatio is a bit much. I kinda believe it, but it's hard to keep a straight face."

Blanc shrugged. "Takes practice. So, what do you say?"

Hero submitted with a sigh as he turned around knowing Financier was standing behind him. "I hate to admit it, but a week long resting period every three weeks sounds divine."

"I have a massage table ready and waiting," Financier said with a bow. "You'll still need surgery, but this will do for now. And don't worry, not once did Lady Blanc tell me about your injury. You just can't hide it from me. But I'm glad you finally understand, because it hurts me seeing you work yourself to the ground, and now having to work through a broken back? I'm not letting you out of my sight."

"You really are damn shady, aren't you?"

Financier giggled. "I'll make sure you'll be able to spend time for yourself. You have an appointment later today."

"An appointment?"

"Lady Nepgear and Lady Uni came to visit you today."

"Ah." Hero nodded and turned to Blanc. "Destroy me."

"No thanks," Blanc said. "Obligations, remember?"


	7. Chapter 7

For a couple of sisters who look too young to be five feet away from their parents, to their credit, they give quite a fight. Not like a couple of feisty little brats, but as CPU Candidates. Goddesses. Fighters until the end.

Not to say their fighting ability caught Hero off guard. No, he knew very well the capabilities of Lowee's twin CPU Candidates. He wouldn't underestimate them, especially when they were together with the other Candidates.

That being said, it was them who were probably the most taken aback by what they had to go through. Having to witness the near downfall of Gamindustri at a such a young age, you think there would be a negative impact on their psyche. On the contrary, their experience through the war had caused them to go through a sudden growth spurt.

"You're so slow," Ram said as she skipped and spun, no care to the wet mess she left behind. "Hurry up."

It was directed to Hero, despite Rom walking side-by-side alongside him.

"Sorry for making you follow us, Mister Hero." Rom spoke as softly as during their first encounter. However, the difference was the confidence behind her voice. She wasn't the scared and timid Candidate she once was, but while still quite the little angel, out of the twins she resembled Blanc the most; the problem was finding out the true nature of those wings. "Ram and I have been practicing our skills, and we wanted you to be the first to see what we can do."

"I'm not sure if I should be looking forward to it or getting ready to run."

"It's not a prank if that's what you mean."

Well, that too, but that sat in the far back of his mind. Part of it was the implications of being caught alone with Lowee's CPU Candidates on one of the highest balconies of the basilicom while the twins wore nothing but their swimsuits and track jackets.

"Come on, Hero!"

Ram didn't make things any easier.

Personality-wise, one might not find much of a difference between her before and after the war, if at all. She was still the hyperactive one of the two, and she was usually the one pulling Rom along with her antics. However, follow her enough and you realize the change in maturity. She has grown aware of the responsibility behind being a CPU Candidate, especially of a nation flourishing in the middle of its redevelopment.

She still hasn't outgrown her pranks, but it was hard to tell if it was because it was still one of her hobbies, or like Rom, a public facade. And the only reason Hero considered that to be a theory is because of the possible sinister side she may have developed due to her maturity.

If she becomes the _third_ Neptune, something needs to be done.

But that wasn't the biggest change.

Mentally, the twins have changed due to their first-hand experience of Hero's war. It was inevitable for such a change to occur to girls so young, despite being goddesses.

Physically, however, he had nothing to do with it. It was mostly the influx of shares, so if Blanc ever tells you otherwise, especially concerning Ram's physical appearance, just know it wasn't his fault.

Not directly. Maybe.

It's not something one would consider to be very smart to bring up in Blanc's presence if they valued their life.

Rom and Ram stepped towards the edge of the balcony, their flip-flops leaving wet footprints.

"We just wanted to thank you," Ram said.

"For what?"

"If it weren't for you, Rom and I would never have realized how much we need to change to become proper CPU Candidates. We were such babies."

Rom nodded. "Ever since the shares started coming in, Ram and I decided to take this opportunity to grow and become better CPU Candidates. And better sisters to Blanc."

"Yeah, we've totally matured."

Matured, she said. Yeah, she really had, and the way she leaned forward not only gave a peek to how much she truly has grown, but it showed how much the older Neptune had influenced the still influenceable and young CPUs. Hero wasn't exactly smitten or at least taken aback. No, he was mostly impressed and humored at the attempt.

He chuckled. "If only Uni was as appreciative."

"Uni? Oh, she's supposed to be here by now. Shoot, we gotta make this quick. You ready, Rom?"

Rom nodded. The twins stood in position as if presenting the sky in front of Hero. Ram raised her hand and snapped her fingers.

Nothing happened.

Hero expected perhaps a ball hitting him from behind, or the floor to give way, or somehow, someway, a waterfall to pour from the sky. But no, he stood there for a few seconds waiting for anything to happen, but there was only stillness and silence.

Silence. More silent than ever. Silent to the point of deafening as if he had completely lost his ability to hear. However, that was not the case. The twins stepped away from each other, beckoning for Hero to walk towards the edge. He looked down to see the entirety of Lowee just as silent. Just as still.

The flowing waters halted, the sprinklers dry. The rainbow vanished, but the sun's rays amplified to almost solid beams of light slicing Gamindustri in half.

Lowee had stopped functioning and without the running water keeping the city cool from nuclear heat, the tremendous heat ever loomed greater and greater, as well as the confusion and chaos that was about to blow up by its citizens.

That was until Rom giggled and nonchalantly snapped her fingers and the sprinklers burst like cannons and the waters run rampant, washing away anyone still in them.

"How did we do, Mister Hero?"

"Pretty good, huh?"

"Not… bad." Dock a couple points due to almost inciting chaos, but not bad at all. "But how?"

"Duh, we learned it from you," Ram said, as if it was all too obvious. "The only difference is: instead of forcing people to follow you, we're using the power of share energy."

Pushing aside whichever method was morally in the right than the other, it was impressive to see their control over share energy greater than ever before.

"You were our inspiration." Rom stepped forward, lifting the hem of her track jacket for a curtsy. "We wanted to make sure what happened at Planeptune never happens to Lowee. It will always be our nation. Mine, Ram, Blanc. Lowee will always belong to Lowee."

"Yeah. Even though you never really thought about invading Lowee, consider it us taking extra precaution, so if you _do_ have an urge to come after Lowee, we sure as hell won't let you take it without a fight."

Hero didn't even say a thing but form a "wow" with his mouth. "My ears are on fire."

"Uh, w-why?" Ram was genuinely confused and concerned. "What happened to your ears? Do you have a fever?"

Okay, maybe she _doesn't_ know what she's doing.

"You two have done pretty well for yourselves. I'm surprised, and I'm sure Blanc would be proud. If you two probably had someone to teach you directly on how to use your powers, I bet you'll be as strong as the CPUs."

Ram's face lit up in excitement. "You think? Blanc would be so jealous if she saw us become even stronger than her."

"No doubt." She's already more than jealous. "Maybe if I can open up my schedule, I can teach you girls a thing or two. I've already given Uni a couple lessons."

"Whoa, seriously? I don't know if Blanc would like us taking lessons from an ex-villain, but you _are_ technically _our_ slave, too."

"Servant… but yeah, I can try my best at ironing out a few kinks in your abilities."

"Mister Hero—"

"You three having fun up here?" Financer came through the balcony doors carrying red and blue towels. "You girls made a mess on your way up here. You should have toweled yourselves off before running through the basilicom. You could hurt someone, you know."

"Oops, sorry," Ram said. "We just wanted to show Hero a quick something before we play with Nepgear and Uni."

"I had a feeling," Financier giggled. "Here, take your towels before you head back down. Lady Nepgear and Lady Uni are waiting."

While Ram ran to grab her towel, Rom took her time to walk up to Hero. She spoke softly, not like she her usual way of speaking, but a whisper as if she didn't want prying ears to hear. "Mister Hero, did you mean what you said? Would you train us to become better CPUs like our sister?"

Hero smirked. "Don't let them wait."

Rom nodded and they both shared a fistbump before she went to grab her towel from Financier and follow Ram back into the Basilicom.

Hero and Financier stood where they were for a moment longer after watching the twins leave the balcony. Financer crossed her arms as if waiting for Hero's turn to take action.

"What?" Hero raised his hands in innocence.

"They're waiting for you, too."

"I have to get back to the 'Lady'."

"You really want to miss the 'sights'?"

"The view is nice from up here."

"Not when you're _inside_ ," Financier chuckled.

"You won't be going?"

"I still have duties to complete. Besides—"

Ram came back to the balcony almost out of breath. "Hey— Oh, Financier, you're still here. Do you want to come swimming? It's fun."

"I would love to, but I still have a few things to take care of. You and Lady Rom have fun for me, okay?"

"Okay. What about you, Hero?" Ram unzipped her sweatshirt and let it drape. "There's no way you have stuff to do, right? C'mon." Before Hero could give her an answer, she ran back inside.

Financier nudged his shoulder. "You _still_ want to stay inside?"

"I don't know what makes you think I've changed my mind within the past forty seconds"

Financier raised an eyebrow with a sly grin on her face as she bounced on her toes, her arms still crossed under her chest.

Hero repeatedly nodded his head as if he could no longer deny a universal fact. "She knows what she's doing."

"I honestly don't think she does."

"Who?"

"Haah?" Financier feigned in surprise as she tilted her head to the side.

"That's the ugliest sound I've ever hear you make. If you want this relationship to continue, never do that again."

Financier laughed as she punched Hero in the arm. "Suit yourself, but surely you wouldn't want to miss out on the fun you could be having. Well, you might not have a choice in the matter now that I think of it. It likely will be a long day for you."

"You're telling me."

"I should get going. I might have to clear up a bit of confusion once I get down, assuming it hasn't been cleared already. The girls are quite a handful, aren't they?" She snapped her fingers and a stream of water spouted from the roof and drenched Hero.

Hero just stood there, soaked and dripping wet as he watched until Financier was back inside.

He finally chuckled. "Shady bitch."


	8. Chapter 8

"Chu! Our king may have fallen, but the war is not over. I will continue my duty and break the CPUs from within, so he may continue to lead us towards freedom. Lowee will be the perfect place to rebuild the resistance. Lastation is already preoccupied, Leanbox is a lost cause, and Planeptune is filled with idiots. Lowee is the most influential and most prosperous, so once this cruddy nation falls, then so will the rest like pepperoni on a super cheesy pizza. And only I can do it, for I am his right-hand, his sword, his warrior of light, his melted mozzarella, the one and only, Paaaaaiiiiinchu!"

"Let's go, Nepgear, they're over there."

"I'm running as fast as I can."

He jumped to the side. His body flew in the air as high as the hand of a toddler pointing at a fat mouse dive-rolling at the same speed as the same toddler asking why the fat mouse was moving slower than thy reading speed of this weary sentence. Eventually he dive-bombed head first into the canal below, a splash significant enough just to cause C-Sha to tilt her head to the side before it became nothing more than a passing memory as she floated down the waterway on her inflated chair.

Uni stopped in her tracks. "I feel like I almost kicked something…" She surveyed her surroundings, inspected her favorite volleyball, and checked under her slippers. "…Something that might be recurring more often than I would be comfortable with."

"Is something the matter, Uni?" Nepgear said. "Rom and Ram are waiting over at the bridge."

"...It's nothing, I'm coming."

They met up with Rom and Ram at the center of a bridge overlooking a canal where most of the traffic were people swimming or leisurely floating on their inflatable rafts.

"Geez, do you know how long Rom and I have been waiting?"

"We're sorry," Nepgear said. "The new Lowee is like a maze. We were going to take a shortcut that used to cut through a playground, but we got lost in the middle of a shopping center. The zoo that used to be at the corner became the same restaurant that was turned into a giant fountain with a built-in waterslide."

"…No, Nepgear, the zoo is still there. I think the map in your head is turned forty-five degrees."

"Goodness, really? But there's still been so many changes. I couldn't keep up and now I'm so confused. Sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry about," Uni sighed. "I'm still not used to Lowee anymore as well. It doesn't help that the ground reflects the sun so much it's blinding. And Ram, are you trying to say _we're_ late? We've been waiting for _you_."

" _Cha cha~_ " Ram waved it off and pointed to her noggin. "Can't be late if we already live here. Besides, Rom and I were being held up by Hero."

"Hero's here?" The excitement in Nepgear's voice made Uni scrunch her nose for a second.

"Yeah, he's been here for, like, about a week."

"This _is_ the week he's supposed to work for Blanc," Uni said, making sure everyone knew that fact. "Which is fine, because then we can hang out with just the four of us like like always, right, Nepgear?"

"Oh, yeah, and—"

"And without having _him_ getting in the way?"

"O-oh, well, I wouldn't consider it 'getting in the way', but—"

" _Nepgear_."

Ram shrugged. "I asked Hero if he'd come, but he rejected. Sucks, 'cuz it didn't seem like he was in the middle of doing anything else. At first, he'd either be following Financier around or in the library staring at all the books, but now he's with our big sis more often than before. He never has time to play with us, but that's so totally a lie."

"Why did you even ask him in the first place?"

"Why not? Uni, you just gotta chill. I know we fought against him, but he's pretty cool, and honestly, I thought he wanted to leave the basilicom for once, go swimming and all that. I think he liked my swimsuit."

Nepgear agreed. "It suits you."

"Ya think so?" Ram slipped a finger down her cleavage to adjust her top. "I'm not used to wearing a two-piece. I have this paranoia that it's going to pop off, ya know?"

"Oh, I get you on that part," Nepgear said. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it."

" _Enough._ " Uni was dizzy from the topic she hated talking about changing to another topic she hated just as much. "Forget about that, forget about him, I have a ball; let's go to the beach so I can punch it as hard as I can."

Ram whistled. "Nice."

"Miss Uni, you still don't like Mister Hero?"

"I _hate_ him. And you should, too. And you. And _you_ , too, Nepgear."

"But… why?"

"Again? Do I have to keep spelling it out for you every time? What reason do you have to even _remotely_ like him?"

"Well, whenever he's in Planeptune, we sometimes play video games together. He even taught me how to make the perfect souffle pancake."

"Wait, he made those— Nevermind. He's your _servant_. He's not doing it as a friend, and he'll never be one."

"But he—"

"I totally get you, Uni," Ram said. "There's times where I just hate him, too."

"You do?" Her ears perked up. "Tell me about it."

"Like, he's a total snooze fest. He never falls for any of our pranks, like he's some sort of wizard or something who's always two steps ahead of us. He's such a pain in the butt."

"…Oh."

Nepgear pouted. " _Ram._ "

"Oh, geez, Nepgear, relax. He's cool with it, and he laughs. Sometimes. It's not like he's getting hurt or anything, but it just makes us want to improve our pranks. Right, Rom?"

Nepgear was still unsure, but she realized she may be worrying a little too much for no reason. "Well, if that's the case, then at least you're not being too hard on him."

"Totally," Ram said. "In fact, we're just making sure he stays healthy. It's not like Blanc works him hard or anything, so he spends most of his time doing boring stuff, like reading."

"He wasn't reading the last time," Rom said.

"Oh yeah, he was shirtless."

Uni twitched her eye, not exactly sure why in the world that bit of information was necessary to point out.

"Our big sis installed a new gym today. I think Hero was helping out with that.

"Is Hero still at the basilicom?" Nepgear said.

"Yeah, he should still be working out. He was with Blanc earlier. They could be doing anything. You wanna see him?"

" _No_." Uni slammed her ball on the ground before catching it, digging her fingers into the leather. "We do not need to see him right now. Right, Nepgear?"

"Mm… I'd like to see how he's doing."

"Ugh, what for? It's not like he's _sick_. Why do you care so much? He's a servant for a _reason_. Stop treating him like he's a part of our group."

Ram withheld the biggest groan of her life, wishing she could just fall backwards over the bridge railing and fall into the canal to escape. Rom tugged on her sister's swimsuit to make sure she keeps from making an embarrassing posture.

Whenever the topic of Hero pops up when Nepgear and Uni were together, there was always a debate. Not an argument, nothing serious that would tarnish their friendship, nothing dramatic of a sort that would have each of them promise not to talk to each other for an undetermined amount of time until they both break and forgive each other in hugs and tears, strengthening their bond in the process.

"I could have killed him." Uni almost growled her words. "I almost killed them."

"But you totally _missed_ -ow!" Rom pinched Ram's butt before things escalate any further.

It was the same debate between whether or not Hero has truly turned over a new leaf. He had his reasons for doing what he did and he has his reasons for doing what he does now. Both on his terms, but others believe once the opportunity arises, the rebel Hero will once again rise in attempt to dethrone the CPUs once again.

But the political debate was reserved for the lower citizens who are viewing the issue from afar. For the CPUs and their Candidates, this was a more personal matter whether in regards to their nations or not.

"He's been working hard for so long now," Nepgear said. "Neptune forgave him and was able to persuade Histoire, Vert, Blanc, and even Noire to come to terms on the contract. You don't think he's done enough?"

" _Enough?_ Have you seen Lastation? Have you ever looked outside your _window_? His effort has been byte-sized compared to what he's done to us. We can't even visit Leanbox without Histoire's permission."

Rom leaned back against the railing overlooking the canal. "This is so boring. Every time they argue, there's been no progression whatsoever."

Rom wasn't paying too much attention to the content of their argument, but she was mostly interested in watching Uni and her reactions. "Do you think Miss Uni—"

Ram chuckled. "Yep."

Nepgear asked one more time in a tone as if no matter what answer she'll get back, she'll never ask again. But she still will. "You won't forgive Hero?"

"Never."

And that was it. They stood on different sides, both knew they wouldn't be able to convince the other, but Nepgear understood Uni's case well. She didn't think Uni was wrong to not like Hero, to not forgive him for what he had done, but she only wished that she would so all the tension would cease.

It didn't seem like it would end the way she had hoped, but all she could do now is to continue hoping.

As for Uni, where she stood on the spectrum it was natural to try and keep her friends safe around a former — no, _current_ enemy. A prisoner for a reason. A servant on an eternal contract. She knew by now it was a fruitful effort to convince Nepgear, but she couldn't just leave her.

Uni noticed Ram staring at her with a grin on her face. Not just an ordinary grin. It was a grin only another CPU Candidate would be able to recognize. Anyone else would think it was a smile of a young girl, but to Uni, after witnessing Ram grow from a child to the not-a-child form she is now, that smile was a killer.

Ram broke the silence by asking Nepgear a question. "So… how's Planeptune?"

"O-oh. The reconstruction has been going along great. Sure, lots of homes were lost… but at the same time, not only were we able to rebuild those homes and businesses, we could make use of all those flying islands as extra real estate. The craters left behind also provide possibilities of interesting architecture, but we're not sure exactly what."

"Uh huh, uh huh." Ram nodded her head pretending to be interested.

"Those flying islands are starting to look very pretty," Rom said. "And some are them are really fun. Was it Miss Neptune's idea to put jump pads?"

"Histoire was worried about all the misplaced land and destroyed buildings, but Neptune saw the bright side everything and made use of it. Trying to get to the highest island was pretty fun. B-Sha even owns a cafe on one of them."

This wasn't the kind of conversation Uni had in mind, but it was better than talking about _him_ as if he were was a part of their circle. _He_ was no friend. _He_ is and always will be an enemy. And Uni wanted to hammer that fact into all their skulls.

But this wasn't the time. They were here to have fun.

"I do feel bad for Vert, though," Uni said. "Leanbox went from being one large island to an archipelago."

"That's true," Nepgear remembered. "None of us have been able to visit Leanbox since the war, and now there's an ongoing civil war in place, too. I hope Vert will be okay."

Ram shrugged. "It's Vert. She'll be fine."

Rom nodded. "Our big sis still visits Leanbox occasionally. The war doesn't seem to be a burden for Miss Vert."

Uni tossed her volleyball for Nepgear to catch. "IF still checks up on Leanbox every so often, doesn't she? She comes by to check in on Noire."

"She does." Nepgear tossed the ball back to Uni. "She's been very busy with rebuilding the Guild Network and helping with the reconstruction in all our nations. She's also Hero's supervisor— Oh no, Hero is going back to Leanbox after he's done with Lowee."

 _Oh,_ come _on._ Uni wanted to roll her eyes until they popped out.

"I hope nothing bad happens to Hero."

Ram groaned. "He'll be fine. It's not like it's gonna be his first time there. Unlike you, we _all_ know how strong he actually is. I mean, he did almost overthrow our sisters after all."

Rom nodded. "We've all seen what he's capable of. Especially Uni."

"I don't— hey, what?"

"Goodness, now I feel bad for underestimating him. IF has mentioned about your training sessions with Hero. If that's the case, then I have nothing to worry about."

"What training sessions!?"

"Oh, that's riiiight." Ram placed a finger on her chin. "Hero said he gave you a few pointers in your training. What were they?"

"Lessons— what lessons!?"

"Hero offered to train Rom and I on becoming better CPUs. I think we're going to do it just so Uni doesn't hog all of it."

"That's a great idea," Nepgear said. "Did he say that today?"

"Uh-huh. Hey, how about we go see him?"

No, we do _not_ want to see him, but what does that matter when both Ram and Nepgear are already on their way to the basilicom without giving a second thought on why that is a terrible idea.

What bothers her the most is she knows Ram is doing this on purpose.

Uni sighed. There was nothing she could do to convince Nepgear. For some reason, she is dead set on being friends with Hero, either due to putting her heart fully into believing he has turned around, or completely blinded and led astray and it was up to her to keep her safe from the inevitable backstabbing.

No matter what, it all comes back to her and her missed shot.

"It's okay, Uni," Rom said, rubbing Uni's arm. "I understand how you feel."

Uni sighed. "Thanks." Even if Rom didn't actually understand, it was nice being comforted.

"You become more like Miss Noire every day. At the rate you're going, you might be able to surpass even her."

Uni blushed. "Hey, thanks, uh, where did that come from?"

Rom giggled. "You've worked so hard before. Now with Mister Hero, you've been working twice as hard. Starting today, you might be working _four_ times as hard."

Uni stared at Rom as she walked off to follow Rom and Nepgear back to the basilicom before her eyes widened as she slowly came to the realization of what Rom meant.


	9. Chapter 9

Leanbox was hit by a barrage of missiles making the continent shatter and split into multiple islands, turning it into the Leanbox Archipelago.

Larger islands, including the island where the basilicom is located, were considered "nations" under new Leanbox law. Each nation had their own government, economy, and anything else that made them support themselves. However, they were not formed due to natural inheritance from the aftermath of the war. Each nation in the archipelago is still under Vert's rule; all puppet states — _toy_ states.

Toys. Toys under constant warfare. Nations destined to gather resources, build their kingdom, expand their boundaries, and invade their neighbors. In the end, there were no winners. They were all destined to entertain the CPU.

IF decided to visit halfway in the week to check on her and Hero. Normally, she only had to worry about Hero's health, especially here in Leanbox. Where his rebellion had affected the most. But while supervising Hero was her responsibility, she wanted to make sure Vert was all right.

IF was hesitant to say Vert never changed since the war. When gathered together with her friends, it was the same old Vert; everyone's older sister figure. Back at home, however, she was akin to a bloodthirsty tyrant. And when it's her turn to be in charge of Hero, IF was afraid she would snap.

Vert mostly stayed in her room — that didn't change. But instead of her collection of BL merch, it was a large, dark room with twelve massive monitors providing the only source of light. Each screen showed a different section of the archipelago. One screen showed a group of farmers and woodcutters. Another screen showed the movement of an army across the waters.

"You busy?" IF tried to grab Vert's attention.

Vert turned in surprised. She wasn't expecting visitors. "IF. If I know you'd be here, I would have freshened up first. Pardon my appearance."

This was normal even before the war. Vert was almost always spending her entire time playing video games, it was a surprise it hasn't affected her appearance much. She was a hardcore gamer, but something about that aspect of her personality was amplified with a giant, bloody thorn in her back.

"I just wanted to see how you've been holding up. We've been seeing you less and less lately; we were thinking you wouldn't make it to the next meeting."

"Oh dear, have I really been making you all worry about me? My most sincere apologies, but please, don't worry about me. I _am_ a CPU after all, and I'm doing the best of a terrible situation as I rebuild my nation from rubble."

One of the monitors showed an on-going siege of an encampment being burned to the ground. It wasn't clear whether or not Vert knew this will never rebuild Leanbox if this continues, but IF didn't have the heart to say otherwise.

It did start out as an honest rebuilding process, but as time went on, tensions rose. Citizens were getting impatient; they felt neglected. Vert was rarely ever seen with her people. Rumors spread. People started to accuse Vert of being the reason Leanbox was destroyed due to her spending her treasury on video games. They accused her of continuing to do so. Others accused her of supporting rival nations more than her own.

IF bit her lip. Broken clocks and all.

Everything escalated once community leaders started spreading the "word of Hero". It started as propaganda. After a while it turned into vandalism. It was only inevitable it would soon turn into physical violence.

Attacks were made on those who still supported Vert; sticks and stones soon became axes and bricks. Then, came the military-grade explosives, but nobody knew who supplied them.

Attempts were made to soothe the naysayers. Vert would never go so low as to harm her own citizens, but a single thread adorned with elegant embroidery can only keep under tension for so long before it snaps and its decor crashes into the abyss.

They committed treason; an uprising more aggressive than the riots in Lastation, but with more primitive resources. They knew they had no chance against a CPU, but with faith so low this was their best opportunity for a revolution, and even if it failed they would have solid evidence of a CPU laying more than just a finger on her own people.

As they expected, but just as much so to their surprise, Vert welcomed them with open arms. The people wanted war. If that's the case, then so be it. For the first time ever, Vert tossed aside what made her a CPU.

Her sanity for her morality.

Her morality for her sanity.

It was war.

Not many people outside of Leanbox know this, but the civil war officially ended a while ago. The ongoing battles were just Vert's hardcore gamer coming out. Her video game collection wasn't completely destroyed, but the surviving ones she had already one hundred percent-ed over a thousand times each. Deprived of video games, being questioned of her leadership, in the midst of rebuilding her nation, and the rise of a rebellion, she snapped.

Leanbox Archipelago was nothing more than a 4X video game to her. A game about civilizations, if you will.

"We're thinking of having everyone take some time off and hang out in Lowee."

"Oh my, that does sound fun. Alas, there's no pause feature, and Chika isn't able to take my spot at this moment."

"Chika? What happened to her?"

"One of my leading generals got himself assassinated, so I recruited Chika to be one of my newest appointed generals." She shook her head. "That's what I get for overreacting and promoting a damn farmer too soon."

"Vert!"

"Oh Iffy, don't worry about it. It's Chika. She can handle herself."

It wasn't Chika IF was worried about. Someone devoted to Vert with the combat skills such as hers? Things were going to get ugly. IF swallowed it down. There was nothing she could do, and adding another thing to the list of things to think about will start degrading her psyche more so than it already has.

IF took a deep breath to ease her mind. "If you don't mind, I want to get back to why I came here."

"Yes, of course. It's nice to see you always coming by. It does get quite lonely. Here he is."

The monitors moved in different directions to reveal a larger monitor from behind. This monitor displayed what was from a camera dedicated to keeping a twenty-four hour surveillance on Hero.

He was standing behind the lines of Vert's personal army. They were in the middle of a battle with one of the bigger "enemy" kingdoms. Hero's strength rivaled that of the CPUs and could make short work of human armies, but because he was so far behind the frontlines, he was nothing but sedentary. Normally, that wouldn't raise any alarms, but IF was somewhat disturbed to see Hero struggle to hold an enormous statue of Green Heart wielding her spear.

Perhaps a few thousand tons; anyone would have a difficult time lifting such an object. But it should be nothing but a bag of pillows for Hero. So, when it seemed his legs could collapse and his back would break in half, IF's heart was about to jump out of her chest.

"V-Vert, he's—!"

"Hm? Oh relax, dear Iffy. There's nothing to be afraid of. He's been like this for the past four days. Thirty thousand tons of obsidian is nothing for him."

"Thirty thousand— Vert, he looks like he's in _pain_."

"Pain? Nonsense. He's much more capable than this, less you forgotten what he's done. He is one of my best soldiers. Oh?"

The statue budged and sank a few inches into the ground, Hero disappeared underneath.

"My, that's a surprise," Vert said in a tone that held more disinterest than surprise.

"Hero!"

IF dashed out of the room, almost running into the wall as there was still little light. She grabbed a cube from her belt and tossed it in front of her as she was running. The cube opened up in to a large mass of pixelated shapes until it morphed into a motorcycle. She jumped into the seat and left a sandstorm behind her and a wall of water as she sped across the waters.

Damnit, she cursed at herself. She was responsible for Hero as much as the CPUs. Perhaps even more, because she had to make sure he doesn't fucking _die_.

And she only had to think about that for two out of four weeks. Even then, the CPUs had their morals. They had their pride. They had their lines. None of them would go so far as to put his life in danger, right? They wouldn't break the contract.

But as she sped past multiple battles, the aftermath of battles, sieges, camps, villages both destroyed and currently being built and rebuilt, fallen soldiers— citizens, everything the current Leanbox had to offer.

Or had left.

This wasn't a simple grudge. This wasn't pure hatred like Noire. This wasn't just vengeance. This wasn't just to make Hero regret an entire week of being alive. This was all just for Vert to feel satisfied.

She made it to the island where the statue was visible even from the shore. She went around the perimeter of a large ongoing battle until she made it to what looked like an erect monument. It had sunk completely into the ground, seemingly burying Hero for all eternity.

She pressed her entire body against one side and pushed with all her might. She was pushing a mountain. There was no way she was going to move it.

It budged. It budged again. It slowly shifted to one side before it lifted above the ground and tilted to the side. Hero appeared below, panting heavily on his hands and knees. It looked like a miracle for him not to be squashed, but it was obvious he used his own strength to free himself.

"Hero!"

Hero looked up to find the source of that voice.

He sighed with a hint of annoyance behind it, but deep down, he was relieved to see her. "Wind Walker."

"Are you okay?" IF tried reaching out, but he was already standing halfway up the ditch.

IT wasn't a big hole. It was only waist deep. But it didn't mean he was fine.

"I'm fine."

"I'm glad Neptune isn't here."

"I'm glad, too."

"Yeah?" IF Jumped down and punched him in the gut. "You won't be after I'm done with you. What the hell are you doing?"

Hero held his back, writhing in pain. But IF ignored it, because that wasn't where she punched him. Nor was it even a hard punch.

"Vert promoted me to one of her elite generals."

"To go at war with her own _citizens_? Not only that, what the hell is that thing and why are you carrying it on your back?"

"It's a symbol of power in the military hierarchy. It's to let allies and enemies know I'm the one they want. Like a boss."

"There's nothing 'like a boss' about that — well, no, a bunch of RTS games are like that these days. But even so, you shouldn't be doing something like that in the first place."

"Vert's instructions."

"It doesn't matter. You are her servant, but the contract states no cruel and unusual punishment, especially punishments that would truly put your life in mortal danger, which you have the option to freely opt out."

"Wind Walker. I'm fine."

"My ass! Look at you, you're—… you're hurt, aren't you?"

A floating computer screen circled around them. After a playful jingle, the screen showed an icon of a telephone and Vert appeared in the screen. It was a video chat.

"You see, sweet Iffy, the contract doesn't state the prisoner can opt out of punishments which can put his life in danger. In fact, it states the prisoner can only opt out of punishments only he himself believes could truly put his life in danger."

IF was confused at first until she did the math. She looked at Hero, who for some reason was having trouble standing up. He was clearly in pain. Vert was hurting him. But one thing was nagging the back of her mind.

Why was he in pain? Vert was right when she said this was supposed to be nothing to him. What was a statue akin to be a wonder of the world in the eyes of IF was simply a pebble to Hero. But why was he weak now? Were the previous weeks putting a toll on his health? But even that didn't seem right.

"The decline in strength of my most treasured soldier does seem to raise alarm," Vert said, "but despite signs of disappointment, he is still my most powerful trooper. I can always rely on him to keep the balance in my nation. As someone who has signed the contract, it is my duty to keep my part of the deal and make sure of his safety. As the CPU of Leanbox, I would never wish death on one of my own, even if it's only for a week."

Her words twisted the words written by Histoire. Admittedly, it wasn't a contract written with loopholes in mind. Most of it was a combination of common sense and under the assumption the CPUs would act accordingly to their morals. It was not a very formal contract.

Vert would never wish _death_. But she has gotten to the point she very much wishes for _harm_. As much harm as she can legally cause. As much harm as can be legally considered to not be harmful at all — by Hero.

IF stared once more into Hero's eyes. "Are you okay?"

Hero struggled to stand. "I'm standing, obviously."

" _Cut the bullshit_." IF punched the wall of the ditch. " _Vert_. You know damn well this isn't right. You can see he's clearly in pain. I know how you feel to see Leanbox become the way it is, but the war is over and we're all trying to recover from it. You can't keep making this personal."

"I understand where you're standing from, IF, but if you truly understand how I feel, then you must also understand it is impossible to simply accept his existence to be well-secured in my nation. My nation he clearly sought to destroy. It is your responsibility for his well-being, so let me apologize for making things difficult for you, but my actions is a result of believing what matters most to a CPU."

IF pulled out her badge showing the insignia of the newly unified Guild of Gamindustri. "I'm trying my damndest to help rebuild Gamindustri with Histoire, the CPUs, everyone. This means everything to me, and I hate all Hero has done to everything I love, but he's not a threat anymore. The war is in the past."

"'In the past'." Vert thought deeply about those words. "It certainly is in the past when looking at it on a calendar, but the effects are everlasting. As much as I want to share your sentiment, I can not forget. Despite your efforts of assisting the recovery process, it seems you do not view my feelings as something to matter. Perhaps the problem isn't my taking things too personal, but you aren't taking things personal enough."

Saliva caught in IF's lungs. She couldn't believe what Vert was accusing her for. Despite all her hard work on helping everyone get through this, she's the one who is not taking things personally? She's a professional, but she's also human. She has her own feelings about Hero's war and what happened to Gamindustri, but she knows when to swallow it and follow the faintly lit path when all is lost.

"If you continue doing this, Histoire will find out. So will Nep and Gear."

"Hm." Vert nodded. "So they will. But Nepgear and the other Candidates are not part of the contract. Why are you so adamant, IF? I understand you feel obligated to protect him as his supervisor, but we both know the contract wasn't very much formal, more so it was a promise between Histoire and us, the CPUs. And promises cannot always be kept no matter how much effort is put into keeping it."

"That doesn't change anything. It is still wrong. Histoire will do something about it if she finds out. Not to mention what the other CPUs will think about it. You're better than this."

"IF, I appreciate the attempt to guilt me through my dignity, but I'm sure you don't need me to explain why my dignity has been thrown out a long time ago. As for the others, I'm sure Noire wouldn't mind. Blanc would likely silence her critiques. She's not one to take sides."

"Neptune will—"

Vert chuckled. IF was taken aback, because it wasn't anything like her usual elegant behavior. It was more sinister. "Iffy, Iffy. Never will I ever want to talk down to someone like you, but as a human, I believe it's best not to assume the feelings of a CPU, whether it may seem clear, or if it makes you second guess."

No words have ever pissed IF off as much as what Vert said. At the same time, it crushed her pride. Yes, she's a human, but Neptune was her best friend, so what did Vert mean by that? Neptune would be against Vert's treatment of Hero, that much is clear. But Vert's confidence made her question it even more.

Neptune liked Hero. That only made sense.

"I'm sorry," Vert said. "I didn't mean to make you question your friendship with Neptune. I am simply… angry. I've lost so much, as you can see, so I can only ask for you to understand where I'm coming from. Very well, I will make another contract. Between you and I. If it makes you happy, my dear Iffy, I will stop stressing a prisoner past their physical capabilities. Injured or otherwise."

IF gulped, knowing well this was a mockery of Histoire's contract. "His name is Hero."

"Yes, yes." And that was the last think Vert said before the screen went black and hovered away until it was about of sight.

IF stared into space where the monitor had disappeared. She knew Vert had lost it, but she was thinking she had lost it herself or she was thinking to deeply into Vert's words.

She slowly brought herself back down and turned towards Hero who was already out of the ditch and was getting ready to lift the sphere on his back again.

"I still have that bruise," IF said.

Hero turned and looked IF up and down. "Sorry."

IF unbuckled her belt and tossed it on the base of the statue, lifting her tank top revealing a large bruise covering the left side of her waist. "It's pretty nasty, but I won't let a little blunt hit keep me down."

"You have quite a backbone."

"Why, yes. I do have at least one. Care to show me yours?"

Hero realized too late his attempt at banter was a poor choice of words. He stepped into an area he tried at all cost to avoid, but knew that one day would happen.

He sighed and looked up at the statue of Vert and marveled at its stature once more. He grabbed the base of the spear, dislocating the statue's arm from its shoulder, and swung the gigantic spear at IF.

IF jumped out of the way and the spear met the ground with a destructive force that created a wall of dirt and broken up land, leaving behind a crevasse from its wake.

While in the air, IF pulled out her pistol and aimed — not at Hero, but at her belt. She fired, and the belt exploded, causing the base of the statue to give way and tilt over, crashing down on top of Hero.

The weight of the statue was enough to tire Hero out, but the added force of it suddenly falling made him fall to his knees. He couldn't hold it any longer, so he struck his elbow back and the statue shattered into dust and debris in one single hit.

Panting heavily, Hero hadn't noticed IF standing behind him, and with one swing of her dagger, ripped the back of his shirt open.

IF's eyes widen, then they sharpened, her nose crunched up as she ground her teeth. The most recent scars and markings signified a surgery, meaning _someone_ had surgical work done on him; and it didn't seem to be the _least_ foul work she'd ever seen. However, before she could ask why something like this was on his back, she noticed something more disturbing after making out the oldest scar on his lower back.

Hero likely have gotten weaker due to this botched surgery, but if this surgery had a purpose, it would be due to this initial injury.

IF was angry, but she wasn't sure if she should be or not. She wasn't sure if it was understandable or not. She wasn't sure if she was right or not. She wasn't sure if this should be personal or not. But it was the only conclusion she could come up with. Either way, his current state, his injury, Vert's abusive nature, the contract, the war, the state of Gamindustri — nothing will progress until IF starts making things matter again.

And letting things get personal is how you make it matter.

"That bullet wound. How did you get it?"

But she already knew the answer to that.

* * *

 **Character development for Vert? No way.**

 **Wrote this entire chapter in a day because I was stuck in the hospital for a month but with no way to upload it. I'm fine, my dad just needed surgery and someone to watch over him during his rehab. I'm now a 24/7 caretaker until he's fully independent.**

 **While this chapter was incredibly easy to write (I might write my initial drafts on paper from now on), the finished product was pretty difficult. Ambitious foreshadowing and also doubt creeping up as I wonder if the way I've written Vert will be taken positively.**

 **But I like it, so there's that. I hope you all do, too. Oh, I also have a couple one-shots planned and a new Neptunia series soon to be uploaded, so look forward to that. I might also get back to updating my Raildex fics (I'm not sure if anyone reads them, but I'd like to get back to it).**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading and thank you for the support.**

 _ **I wonder if anyone got the Yakuza reference in Chapter 7 and the Max Payne reference in Chapter 8.**_


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